so they gots dees people protesting about letting in illegal immigrants, saying that america was built by immigrants and everyone deserves a better life. ugh! well there they are. that's basically just a reading of just how large our illegal immigrant population is. you know, the ones that dodged the census. o don't get me wrong, i'm all for immigration. yes, everyone deserves the chance for a better life and the right to pursue happiness. what they failed to do was include the word "legal". legal immigration is fine; i encourage it! but illegal immigrants "don't do nobody no good". we need taxpayers. we need people who are army-enlistable. we do NOT need illegal immigrants. so my advice to all you marchers for immigration is to start filling out paperwork. i can't think of anyone that would participate in this hundreds of thousands march unless you were illegal. "no incidents, no arrests; the most peaceful march ever". ya i can tell you why: its best not to stick out, not to get arrested if you're trying to dodge the INS.i'm tired and i can't wait to get away from marriott. they're gonna run me through the gammut right to the bitter end and i have to take it coz i don't wanna burn any bridges. in fact, they want me to work on the saturday after i quit. i said i'd let them know but i can't gaurantee anything. i'm in a situation where they need me more than i need them right now. that could work in my favor financially =)bling bling and shine on but i probably won't get rich working freelance at marriott because i don't know when they'll call me. but at least i might have some pocket change (i'm gonna ask for 350/10 hours because that's the higher-end for a floor tech (and i'm all that)) and they already know i'm not doing an overnight. haHaa!i've been in the habit lately of getting up early (around 5am) and getting dunkin donuts coffee. i seem to get more work done in the morning because when noon comes around, everyone is up and about and awake and everyone wants your attention. making sound effects is fun. i get lost for hours going down the list of sounds to make. i just don't like the business part of it. you have to make sure xyz files are in x format and abc files are in y format and these are due then and those are due then. and that's just the tip of the iceberg. there's a lot of paperwork, emails, and phone calls going around just to figure out what i'm supposed to be doing and make sure i have the tools to do it. ugh but after all that, the actual sound itself ain no thang. and that's the fun part! but whatever, my education is finally continuing after being put on hold for a few years. i got instant messaged from an old friend from high school today. that was pretty cool. my hair is getting kinda long now. i'll post a pic soon. if i didn't shave the back of my head you'd see it past my shoulders. i actually have hair long enough to tuck behind my ears, which i do.right now i'm at the marriott and listening to my two coworkers talking about different ways for the one to keep from getting caught cheating on his wife. i know from previous conversations that he's got 3 different women on the side and none know the other exists. i don't know why but i'm rooting for him.

i've never been a barry manilow fan. and, like all the other guest performers, he was very diplomatic with his opinions. it must be annoying being at that stage when most of the time spent is at commercial break. i hope they have fun things to do during those times. but, on with my synopsis.

mandisa - she's great as long as she stays in her range. and as long as she's yell-singing. if she's not yell-singing, she sounds generic. good, but generic. still, she will have a nice-selling album when she makes one.

bucky covington - didn't work for me. maybe his last week here. energetic song but he didn't pull it off.

paris bennett - ya, she can sing i guess. but again, she has this peppiness that bugs me. "fever" is best slinky and seductive. she's more like a plastic toy. unfortunately i think i'm the minority in this opinion.

chris daughtry - started off all deep and dramatic (not quite a fan of that) and then turned into goat boy. it was nice that he made it his own song and all, but he's a goat boy and kinda a weirdo. he needs to go, but bucky should go first.

katherine mcphee - i like her. even though her performace was kinda crap. at least she's more "ella" than paris.

taylor hicks - he didn't really sing much. i was disappointed. he tried to make up for not singing by dancing around. still, i know from past performances that he's fun. i guess i'll vote for him just to keep him in the game.

lisa tucker - this is the first performance of hers that i didn't think she stinked up the stage. she sounded about as good as would be expected a standard performer. she's no idol. i guess the cops caught the guy threatening the judges. she should go home after bucky and before daughtry.

kevin cobais - good song choice for him. no powerhouse or anything, but if you already perceive him as a harmless awkward child then that is a great rendition of that song. so he did good in making people like him.

elliott yamin - his voice is nice. i still hate his static vibrato. he's more goaty than that daughtry fella. i still think dems bof gotsta go.

kelly pickler - i'm not sure why but she just wasn't as enchanting tonight as i usually think she is. i guess she just wasn't adorable. but it was a nice performance.

ace young - weak voice. i still think he's a pansy. he should be an ice skater. but i guess the kiddies like him.

who i think the american audience will pick, in the order of who goes first, with the idol at the end: bucky covington, kevin cobais, elliott yamin, lisa tucker, taylor hicks, chris daughtry, kelly pickler, paris bennett, ace young, katherine mchphee, mandisa

Ninja Ninja Ninja.... you're teenage mutant years are becoming a distant memory and you've developed a good ear for these things... but You and Simon both need to remember that "performance" (not just singing) is key to this competition. Allow me to rate their performances:

Mandisa: Park and Blow....but for some reason it works. Her little shimmy fits well with her song

Bucky: The only thing he did well was play with his microphone during his performance. I can't believe he's in the competition to begin with....his singing voice is so forced and fake (imagine someone trying to sing as PeeWee, you'd laugh for sure but somehow this guy is equally fake and nobody seems to notice. His phrasing is all wrong, his songs are 4 of 5 notes, and he doesn't do anything with them; Goodbye Bucky.

Paris: She's awesome, but isn't really "connecting" with anybody.

Chris: Rock on.... he nailed an otherwise boring song.

Katherine: She sings and connects well, but something's just not right. Kinda like seeing a person grinning from ear to ear as they sing a sad song.... she's really awkward and kinda jiggles around when she walks (I think she was going for "Slink" but missed it) Once again...Incredible eyes.

Taylor: What the $@#* was that. This is his first bomb and he knew it... dancing yes, but nothing else.

Kevin: You summed his up. All he needs for his next performance is to stand out in the rain shivering and look at the ceiling and sing "somewhere over the rainbow". He's playing the puppy dog card like a pro.

Elliot: Goat Boy? No way... ain't nothin wrong with his vibrato. Problem is when he starts singin' he looks at the ceiling and sways from side to side... that's all he's ever done. May be great singing on broadway or something, but I don't think American Idol matches his performance.

Kelly: WOW, I actually liked it this week.

Ace: See ya latr' He connects with his audience like a pro (almost as good as Kevin), but he can't sing. He needs to be on a soap opera or something and forget about idol.

anybody out there ever have redbull? i had some tonight. i have to say i'm not impressed. here's what it tastes like: when you first take a sip it tastes all bittery. like bubble gum mouthwash from the dentist. then you swallow it and when you burp it smells just like big league chew bubble gum. then you are left with an aftertaste that tastes like scratch n sniff stickers. and i don't think i'm very far off on the description. i won't be drinking that stuff anymo'

But what if you were in the mood for some Flouride, Big League Chew, and Sniffy Stickers..... You'd drink it then for SURE!!!!

I've never had it.... I try really hard to limit my caffiene. I get headaches if I have too much, then I get withdrawl headaches if I stop my caffiene flow. Right now I'm at a can of coke a week, but a redbull would just be too much.

well everyone out there in blogland, i have news. i am no longer to be employed by marriott int'l. no, they're not letting me go. i'm letting them go. ROCK ON! yes yes, today i put my two weeks in. i am at the bud of my career, and the beginning of world domination. wait, you don't know about that yet so nevermind...so now when people ask me what i do i will say i'm a sound designer, and i won't have to say event technician. i won't have to say marriott, i can now say i'm in the music business. so it's square one, i'm in the door and picked up where i left off when i graduated college after that pitstop when the usa was in an unemployment ditch and i didn't know what to do next. this is the beginning. hooray for hollywood. i'd celebrate but i'm too busy and just don't feel like it coz there's so much work to do. maybe its better that way?

Congratulations! At the awards ceremony for excellence in SOUND or MUSIC, don't forget add our name to people you want to thank! :-)....and I want to thank my MOM and my Dad.....especially my MOM..... and some other people too.

its stevie wonder time! its about time! every season i hope they do stevie wonder. he's one of my most coveted and respected musicians. i wish i could meet him *jealous*the stage is, once again, wonderful. quite large and enchanting with all the sparklies and; now i finally get to see the guys' perfomances.

ace young - he sux. he's always sucked. he sounds so common its hard to listen to. he only made it this far coz his rocker hair.

kelly pickler - i can't believe she doesn't know stevie's music. shame on her! randy was right about how her glitter wasn't there. but her "i'm sorry" was, again, absolutely adorable.

elliott yamin - i don't like his frantic vibrato. its built into his voice and that's why he can move easily around notes. he might be a good singer if he can write his own music. but if he's singing someone else's, it just doesn't work for me and i don't think i want him to be the idol.

mandisa - started off poorly. not impressive. once she got up into her range she let it belt out much better. and at this point i'm wondering why none of the contestants are choosing any of stevie's top hits.

bucky covington - i missed his performance when i went to the grocery store. but i don't like his trailer look so he can just disappear >=p

melissa mcghee - a little pitchy, she absolutely needs to stay away from ballads. i don't know how much longer she can hold out.

lisa tucker - shoulda picked a higher key, but couldn'ta handled it if she had. i've said it before and i'll say it again: she is NOT a powerful singer and definitely no idol. are the judges being controlled?? i'm suspicious of that now. they over and over say she's all that and she blatantly is not. especially simon. somebody call the cops, i think his family is being held hostage.

kevin covais - reminds me of alex. only in the respect that he's kinda shrimpy kinda dorky but somehow gets lots of attention and is funny to watch. he should have sang a higher key too. simon is right about it not being a good performance. and he should NOT have been quick with simon. he is no idol.

katherine mcphee - she could be the idol. she's pretty and she can sing.

taylor hicks - love this guy. as much as he could tackle songs by stevie and ray charles, this guy should be blind. i'm only concerned about what an album like his would sound like.

paris bennett - i still don't like paris. she's just annoying to me, even though she's pretty and she can sing. simon said she's like a wind-up doll and he's right, but he loves it and i hate it. i especially thought that little singing stunt with ryan seacrest was disgusting. she's just annoying.

chris daughtry - he's like elliott yamin's twin brother. same goat vibrato. same "look". same performance that is not "wow". both those guys should probably go home.

so to wrap it up, stevie wonder is awesome and the contestants are not. looking at the end-of-show recap of their performances, taylor hicks is the only one that made me want to make devils horns with my fingers. i hope the top 4 are kelly pickler, mandisa, katherine mcphee, and taylor hicks. that would be cool.

You're so wrong! Wrong wrong wrong. - Kelly Pickler is a cutey pie, but she can't sing..... period.-Katherine McPhee is the annoying one, she's about as graceful as the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.... Nice eyes though.- Paris is a rock star... She's got youthful spunk.... yeah, the singing responses were a little much, but she's a hot commodity.- Elliot and Chris both had bad nights... they are usually spot on. Elliot esepecially has done Stevie Songs twice before and blown everybody's socks off.

so a south dakota gov. with a head bigger than he can carry decided to pass a bill that renders abortion illegal in most cases. well well well. he says he expects its to be challenged fiercely, but hopes that it could edge enough to stand a fighting chance. he wants to "give the supreme court a chance to reconsider its ruling". i think he's goosing for rep. justice alito to help out.HA! i say. ha HA!what a buffoon. to think it could hold any water at all. those republicans in the office are so delusional that they think people are on their side. hahahaha! lol lol! last i heard the vast majority of americans are saying "who are you to tell me what i can and can't do with my body?"should any of us be angry at the bill passing he pulled? angry that he's bringing the issue to the supreme court's attention? nope! why should we be afraid of that? i'm angry that we have a delusional misguided gov. in s. dakota, but be my guest to bring it to the supreme court. the voice of the people is way too strong to phase or even bend at this. bring it on, nerd!

I agree with your stance, it's a ridiculous move to test out the new conservative Supreme Court. I also think you seriously underestimate the voice of the conservative right.... they are many, they are loud, and at this moment they have been making the majority of the decisions in this country for the past 6 years. You seem to forget that there is a much bigger America than the places and people that you see each day.... and they don't all think the way you do.That said, I'd like to propose that if the terrorists want to blow something up in the US, why not start in S. Dakota :-) May do billions of dollars of improvements.

so i'm on my way back home early in the morning. i learn that grande central terminal is closed from 2am-5:30am. because this is earlier than usual that i'm going home, i didn't know that until now; it had always been open by the time i got there (around 5:30). the doors are locked. so i try the next set. locked. i try the next set, and the next and the next. i finally find a door that opens that leads into a restaurant. lights are out, nobody there. i walk by dim light over to the elevator feeling self-concious. "i probably shouldn't be doing this," i thought. the elevator opens up and i get inside and push a button that i think will take me to the main floor so i can get to the 6 train uptown. the trains are, of course, still running. its silly that they close the terminal part of the station. so i get off the elevator and walk across the vast, echoey vault of grande central terminal, alone. it felt surreal. no hustle, no bustle, nobody. ok maybe there are snipers or something gonna take me out as i'm crossing. surely this must be on some kinda list as possible terrorist targets. i just "walk with a purpose" casually and quickly, feeling naked. i get to the stairs leading to the subways and everything is blocked off with police barricades. but i'm on one side and everybody else is on the other, with police. i just casually walk by the police and continue on my way down the stairs with the others. "doo di doo no problems here" i watched them block another passer-by telling her that she cannot go into the terminal because it's closed, and here i am walking right past coming from there. i hope i didn't confuse her too much. thought about telling her about the way i came in, but decided i'm too tired to make intelligent decisions at this time.

can you feel which part of the brain you're using? i can. well, not like i just go around all day noticing which area of my brain is getting used, but when i have a sudden paradigm shift i can feel a slight weight transferring to another section of my brain. like lets say you've been thinking about math all day or something. then, when you start thinking about artsy things, you feel weight move to a different part. not quite headachy. blood moving? electricity? both? its probably a combination of conscious and subconsciouce memory being tapped.

My Theory: We're all capable of having multiply personalities. The things you remember are stored in compartments in your brain. As you shift from one task to another, you also unleash different memories and feelings associated with that side of the brain....It's almost like you're a slightly different personality.....Right, Scott? Right!

My theory:You brain produces different kinds of waves, ie alpha, beta, etc. and you may be feeling the shift.I know when I want to force my brain to relax, I practice going into my Alpha state and it feels totally different.

They should talk about brains instead of only one. There are so many functions, and I've "felt" activity or "weight" in one part or another sometimes also. Or is it only our scalp muscles playing tricks, maybe?